Most frequently asked questions

If you bought your Railcard online, you will need to get a replacement online. You can only apply for a replacement Railcard seven or more days after the date of original purchase.

You will have to pay a £10 administration fee if your Railcard was lost or damaged.

To apply for a replacement Railcard, please log into your account and follow the instructions on screen.

If you bought it elsewhere, provided you can produce the completed "Receipt" portion of your original application form, then you can apply for your lost or damaged Railcard to be replaced at any staffed station ticket office. You will have to pay a £10 administration fee.

Until you have your replacement Railcard, we’re sorry but you will have to pay the full fare. The lost discount is not refundable.

If your Railcard has been stolen and you have been given a crime reference number or documents by the Police, then we will give you a free replacement.

To replace a stolen Railcard you bought online, please log into your account and follow the replacement process, you will need to quote your crime reference number. You can also call our Helpline on 0345 3000 250.

To replace a stolen Railcard you bought at a station you need to go to a station with your crime reference number/documentation and some form of identification. You will then be issued with a complimentary Railcard.

Though we do not recommend purchasing discounted tickets prior to the Railcard being in your possession, we want to ensure that nobody is left out of pocket by the problems and is able to travel at Railcard discounted prices.

If you had to pay extra or a penalty fare, please Direct Message us via Twitter or Facebook with your details, the proof of purchase and your tickets.

Our website is now working although a few intermittent technical issues remain, of which we are aware and which are impacting a very small amount of cases. We are working continuously to resolve any difficulties and minimise the disruption. We will notify customers when all the issues have been fixed and apologise sincerely for the inconvenience caused.

Our website is functioning and 99% of people are not experiencing difficulties. Additionally, you can buy a 1-year Family & Friends Railcard at any staffed National Rail ticket office and 3-year Railcards on our website.

Our website recently underwent essential, planned maintenance to upgrade and improve existing technology and enable a much quicker, smoother buying process. This was the biggest upgrade in 7 years and the core maintenance was completed within a 24-hour period. While 99% of people are using the website without any problems, some outstanding issues have been identified and we are working continuously to bring these to a close as a matter of urgency, while ensuring that we apply suitable due diligence to resolve these and ensure our customers’ data security. We apologise sincerely for any difficulties.

If you are buying your Railcard online we will despatch it within one working day, and send it free by UK Mail. Please allow five working days for your Railcard to arrive.

You have the option of paying £6.50 for our Special Delivery service. Providing you have placed your order before 1600hrs this will guarantee that your Railcard is delivered within two days (Monday to Thursday) or three days (Friday to Sunday).

You will not be able to collect your Railcard from a rail station. We add an extra week’s validity to your Railcard to allow for delivery time.

You cannot travel on discounted tickets until you have received your Railcard. You cannot use your printed out confirmation of sale to get discount. The Railcard is the only proof of entitlement to discount that rail staff are able to accept.

Once your online payment has been successful you will receive an email confirmation and acknowledgement of your application number (this confirmation cannot be used to buy discounted tickets).

Your new Railcard will be despatched within one working day by UK Mail. Please allow five working days for delivery. You will have the option of paying for Special Delivery which will guarantee that your Railcard is delivered by the following morning providing that your order is made before 1600hrs on the date of purchase. We’re sorry, but your Railcard cannot be collected from a rail station. You will not be able to travel on discounted tickets until you have your Railcard – you cannot use the printed confirmation of sale.

It’s a very busy time of year for Royal Mail so if you would like to order a plastic Railcard, it might take longer for it to arrive during the festive season. The good news is, you don’t need to rely on the post. Choose to receive your Railcard digitally and it will be available instantly.

If you would still like the plastic version and to ensure your order is with you before Christmas day, please complete your order before 4pm on Sunday 15th December or use our Special Delivery service no later than Tuesday 17th December. If you are ordering a Railcard by our standard service between Monday 16th December and Thursday 2nd January 2020, please expect delivery by Saturday 11th of January.

If you opt for a digital Railcard, you must provide a photograph. The photo should have been taken with nothing covering the outline of eyes, nose or mouth. The rail industry applies the same rules as the DVLA and Passport Agency, so photos with a person wearing a full facial burka / niqab (a veil that covers the face) are not acceptable. If a member of rail staff is unable to validate that the person on your Railcard is you, the Train Companies reserve the right to charge you the full price Standard Single fare for your journey as if no ticket was purchased before starting the journey and in some cases a Penalty Fare.

Discounted tickets are only valid if you are using them with a valid Railcard. If you Railcard expires before the end of your journey then you will need to renew it to be able to complete your trip using expired tickets. If the only Railcard you have is expired you will not be able to continue to use your discounted tickets.

Railcards can be used for rail discounts in the area known as Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). They cannot be used for rail travel in either in Northern Ireland nor the Republic of Ireland.

If you live in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland you can buy a Railcard to use for travelling in Scotland, Wales or England. For more information on concessionary rail travel schemes in Northern Ireland please see www.translink.co.uk or the Republic of Ireland please see www.irishrail.ie.

The “Internal Server Error” message is a generic error message which relates to issues to do with the way your browser is interfacing with the Railcard website. Sometimes this problem can occur if you are using compatibility mode in Internet Explorer (versions IE10 and lower).

In Internet Explorer 10 you can click the compatibility mode button to switch it on or off.

In Internet Explorer 11 there is no compatibility mode button so to access the Compatibility settings you will need to click on the Settings icon. In the menu that is subsequently displayed you will find “Compatibility View Settings” – click this. In the Settings panel that displays, make sure that railcard.co.uk is not the box entitled, “Websites you’ve added to compatibility view”. If it is please click on the entry and click the remove button, then click to close it.

A: Any adult can buy a Family & Friends Railcard. To use it, at least one of the group travelling must be named on the Railcard and there must also be at least one child travelling on a child rate ticket. The named Railcard holder must travel for the entire journey with any passengers who have been bought discounted tickets.

A: Children under five years of age travel for free so do not have to have a ticket for travel. However, at least one child in your group will need to have a child rate ticket for you to be able to use a Family & Friends Railcard. So, if the children in your group are all four years of age or younger, you can buy one of them a discounted child ticket so that any accompanying adult can benefit Family & Friends Railcard discount.

A: Any two adults can be named cardholders, and they can take up to four children with them. The second cardholder can be any adult that might spend time with your children such as a friend, grandparent, or childminder.

A: No. Railcard discounts are available throughout Britain but they are not available on tickets for morning peak period services, for journeys wholly within London & South East Network Railcard area on Mondays to Fridays. (The exceptions to this discounted fare rule are when you travel at weekends and on Public Holidays).

The times of morning off-peak services do vary by route and are normally related to the availability of Off Peak Day tickets. It's best to check with ticket office staff before buying your tickets.

A: Only if there is no ticket office, or the ticket office is closed and there is no ticket machine available to buy your discounted ticket at the station at which you began your journey. If this is the case you can buy your discounted ticket from ontrain staff. Otherwise, if ticket facilities were available at the station you could be charged the full price Standard Single fare.

Yes. As long as either you (as the main Railcard holder) or the second named Railcard holder is travelling with a child, upto a total of four adults and four children travelling together can get discounts.

Discounted price tickets purchased by a Family & Friends Railcard holder should be issued for travel for the same origin and destination and should normally be of the same ticket type (example all Off-Peak Returns).

A: Yes. You must show your valid Railcard when you buy your ticket(s). You also need to have your Railcard with you on each journey and present it to staff when your ticket is checked aboard the train. Failure to present both your Railcard will mean you have to pay a full fare, which is not refundable.

A: Yes, providing that there are reservations available on the service on which you are travelling. Many train companies will allow you to reserve a seat free of charge on longer distance journeys. Please check with the local ticket office staff before buying tickets.

A: Travelling on a Sleeper Train usualy requires two payments: one for the rail ticket and one for the berth. The Railcard will give you a discount on the rail ticket element, but not on the berth fee. From time to time, the different Train Companies providing sleeper services may advertise special offers for Railcard holders.

A: With your Railcard you can get 1/3 off a London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak Day Travelcard (subject to a minimum fare which is currently £8.30) and an Anytime Day Travelcard when bought as part of your journey to London from outside London Zones 1-9 (subject to a minimum fare which is currently £18.10).

A: The Railcard discount does not cover charges on various articles or animals. For details about which items carry a charge, and details of the charges, please call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.

A: Yes. You can use it with the 2FOR1 Days Out Guide promotions and most offers given by train companies. Please note that your Railcard may get you the full 1/3 discount on some Train Company special offers, but many offers include a smaller discount or no discount at all. It's best to ask at your local station for details of a specific offer, or call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50. Alternatively, you can visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.

There are important terms and conditions that you need to understand before you use your Railcard. Please click on the link to the Railcard you are purchasing to read the terms and conditions relevant to you:

No. Please do not laminate your Railcard. In most instances the heat of a laminating machine will turn the surface of your Railcard black, damaging it and making it illegible. If this happens you will need to buy a replacement Railcard (for a fee of £10 if you have had no previous replacements).

Laminated Railcards cannot be accepted by rail staff as the lamination makes it difficult to validate that the Railcard has not been tampered with.

To protect your Railcard please keep it in a plastic ticket wallet which is available for free from any staffed station.

A:Railcards issued at stations are printed on paper. On rare occasions, the way that the surface of the Railcard interacts with the plastic in some ticket wallets destabilises the print and makes it fade. If this has happened to your Railcard you can take it into a staffed rail station and they will replace it free of charge. Most stations will be able to check the validity of the Railcards by running it through the ticket–issuing machine to check when it was originally issued.

A:The stamped receipt that you were given at time of purchase should have both your Railcard expiry date and Railcard number.

If you no longer have your stamped receipt, there is a good chance that we might have your details on our Marketing database if you have registered to receive updates from us. In this case we might be able to find the information you need if you contact us on by either calling our Marketing Team on 020 7841 8062 or emailing enquiry@atoc.org.

If you are travelling by train on a ticket with a Railcard discount, you must travel with your valid Railcard. If you forget your Railcard you will either be required to buy a new ticket or you may on certain services be liable for a Penalty Fare. However, a train company will normally allow you to claim back this extra expense on the first occasion in each year where this happens.

Each train company will have their own process for doing this. You will need to provide proof of your Railcard and either the original and additional tickets that you have purchased, or if you have not yet paid, details of the notice to pay or notice of Penalty Fare. Where you have already paid for additional tickets you should contact the relevant train company’s customer services department; in the case of a notice to pay of notice of Penalty Fare, you should follow the instructions included on how to challenge or appeal the charge.

A: Providing the expiry date of your Railcard is within 30 days you will be able to renew it. Just log back into your account and select your Railcard from your account summary screen, confirm your details and make your payment. Your renewed Railcard will then be sent to you.

You can renew your station-purchased Railcard within 30 days of its expiry date. Go to the homepage and click on the "Login and Manage your Account" button. From here you will be given the opportunity to "Register Your Railcard". Once you have completed this you will be given the option to renew your Railcard.

A:To renew a Railcard that you have previously bought at a station, select 'Register a Railcard' on the Login/Buy now page and type in the required information.

Once you have completed this you will be shown a Review screen. If you want to use a promotional code, click on the Edit button in “2. Railcard Details and Promotional Codes” to enter your promotional code before you pay.

Auto-renewal allowed customers to have their 1-year Railcards renew automatically 14 days before the expiry date using their existing debit/credit payment details.

The auto-renewal option was removed from the website on 4 April 2019.

The final auto-renewals were made on 3 April 2019 for Railcards expiring on 17 April 2019. Therefore, customers who selected auto-renewal when they purchased and have an expiry date after 17 April 2019, will need to renew through their online account instead.

Some customers may have received an email saying that their Railcard would be renewed automatically, but if it has an expiry date after 17 April 2019, this will not have been attempted. Railcards can be renewed up to 30 days before their expiry date through an online account, by clicking the “RENEW” button and following the instructions from there.

A: No. You must carry your Railcard with you on any journey where you have bought discounted tickets with the Railcard. Therefore, if you buy discounted Railcard tickets before you receive your Railcard, you do this at your own risk.

A: You will need to wait FIVE working days and then log back in to your Railcards online account, select ‘Replace your Railcard’ and then click on the ‘Not received’ button on the left. If you then press ‘continue’ this completes the replacement application process. Please check that your address is correct before you order. You will be sent a free replacement provided you do this within 30 days of your purchase date. We believe this is long enough for a customer to notify us they have not received their Railcard.

If 30 days has passed from your date of purchase you can still request a replacement card, but you will have to pay a £10 replacement fee.

You’ll need to have your Railcard with you to travel on discounted Railcard tickets.

A: Yes, you can buy a 16-25 Railcard, a Senior Railcard or a Family & Friends Railcard for a friend or family member as long as they are eligible for the Railcard you are getting them. If you are buying a 16-25 Railcard or a Senior Railcard you will need to supply the evidence (such as a passport or driving licence code) to prove their
eligibility.

To order the Railcard log in to your account (or register one if you do not already have one) and then when you get to the question, "Is this Railcard for you or someone else?" choose the option for "someone else" and continue the process. You will have the option of having the Railcard delivered to the UK address of your choosing. The Railcard
will then be sent along with information as to how the Railcard holder can create their Railcard account if they wish.

Please check that you have read each character of the code correctly. We do try to use codes that are easy to read, but occasionally applicants might confuse,

the letter “I” with the number “1”

the letter “O” with the number “0”(zero)

the letter “S” with the number “5”.

If any of these characters appear in your code please try their alternatives. If this does not work please call us on 0345 3000 250 and we will be able to check the status of the code you have.

Can't find an answer? Get in touch

If you are having problems purchasing your Railcard, or if you have comments about the Railcard service, call or email us. You can also write using the postal address. We're open from 0700hrs to 2200hrs everyday except Christmas Day.

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